Air cleaner and humidifier



Nov. 15, 1932. E. M. HICKS 1,888,001

I AIR CLEANER AND HUMIDIFIER Filed June 14, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VEN TOR.

.4 TTORNEY.

Nov. 15, 1932. E. M. HICKS AIR CLEANER AND HUMIDIFIER Filed June 14. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 9? .13 y :9 JarZ mfizaksj I N VEN TOR.

.4 TTORNE Y.

Nov. 15,1932. E. M. HICKS 1,888,001

AIR CLEANER AND HUMIDIFIER Filed June 14, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 la T L jyf fz'cks,

I INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY,

Patented Nov. 15, 1932 UNITED STAT E s EARL M. HICKS, F LEBANON, INDIANA AIR CLEANER AND HUMIDIFIER Application filed time 14,

- This invention relates to an improved apparatus for cleaning and humidifylng air, especially designed for use in connection with the air intake of a hot air furnace and in other places where it is desired to moisten and remove impurities from supplies of air,

The primary object of the present invention is to provide anapparatus ofthe above kind which is simple and compact in construction,ireli'able in operation, and efiicient in'properly cleaning and vhumidifying the air passing therethrough.

A more specific object of the present 1n: ventionis to provide an air cleaner and humidifier of the above kind embodying an air moistening and cleaning device which includes an endless moving Web and means for keeping the web saturated with water to effectively clean and moisten the air passing -therethrough, the web forming part of a bodily removable unit so that the web may be conveniently renewed or cleaned from time to time asfound necessary. A further object of the invention is to provide the removable unit with a novel arrangement of bafiles for removing excess moisture from the air and thereby preventing the air from being supplied in too wet a condition. e

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in-connec'- tion with the accompanying drawings, and the invention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

1 Figure 1 is an elevational view of a hot air furnace equipped with an air cleaner and humidifier embodying the present invention. Figure 2 is an enlarged view partly in section along line 22 of Figure-,1, and partly I broken away'. I

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 4-is a horiz0ntal section von lin 4-4 of'Figure 2. a v p Figure 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 of Figure 2. i

1932. Serial No. 617,211.

Figure 6 is a side 'elevational view of the removable Web car-rying unit forming part of the air cleaning and moistening means.,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective I, view, showing parts of the unit in F1 re 6 5 prior to assembly and with the weg and rollers removed; and

Figure 8 is a wiring diagram.

Referring in detail to the drawings, F indicates a conventional hot air furnace hav- 0 ing the usual opening at one side and near the bottom thereof through which cold airto be-heated is supplied to the furnace and havin the usual pipes P by which the air,, "after 'eing, heated, is supplied to the various rooms of the building in which the. furnace is installed. I

' As shown, the present invention may be employed for cleaning and humidifying the cold air supplied .to the furnace F so that the air, after being heated, will be supplied to the-rooms of the building in a clean and properly moistened condition. The invention includes a sheet metal casing 5, the lower portion of which has a front projectin part 6 .closed at the top by a hinged lid and provided with a central air outlet 8 at thefront thereof adapted to register with the side air inlet of the furnace F when the present device is arranged at oneside of the lat- 8o ter as shown in Figure 1. The back'portion of easing 5 is divided into upper and lower compartments 9 and 10 respectively by means of a horizontal partition 11, and removably supported in the top of the upper compartment 9 is a filter plateor screen 12 by means of which the larger particles of dust or dlFt in the air are initially extracted therefrom; The casing-5 has a hinged door 13 at the back of the upper portion thereof I to facilitate access to the filter or screen 12 for its removal.

Mounted upon each end portion of the partition ll is a blower 14. The blowers 14 have air intakes in the adjacent sides thereof as shown clearly in Figure 4, and are provided with bottom air outlets registered with openings in the ends of the partition 11 so that air may be drawn from the upper compartment 9 and discharged into the lowercompartment 10 by said blowers. The blowers have a common drive shaft 15 suitably j ournaled in and extending transversely of the upper compartment 9 as well as projecting through one side of the casing 5, where it is equipped with a large pulley 16 and a small pulley 17. Mounted near the bottom and at one side ofthe casing 5 is an electric motor'18 having a small pulley 19 on the armature shaft thereof, an passing around the pulley 19 and the pulley 16 is an endless driving belt 20. It will thus be apparent that when the motor 18 is placed into operation the shaft 15 will be driven for operating the blowers 14 so that the air. is forcibly drawn from compartment!) and forced into the lower compartment 10. The compartment 10 has cold air inlets at the top thereof to which cold air may be supplied from the outside through pipes 21 into compartment 9.

Provided in the lower compartment 10' of casing 5 is means for cleaning and humidifying the air as it is delivered to said compartment 10 by the blowers 14 andbefore it is discharged from said compartment 10 through outlet 8 into the air jacket of the furnace F. As shown, this means consists of a water pan 22 arranged upon the bottom of the casing 5, and a removable web carrying unit 23 positioned in the front projecting part 6 of the casing. This unit consists of a suit able frame in which are j ournaled upper and lowerrollers 24 and 25 around which passes a highly porous endless fabric web 26, the lower portion of the unit being arranged within the pan 22 so as to submerge the lower roller 25 in the water contained in said pan 22, whereby the web 26 is kept in a moistened condition as it is caused to travel in a manner f and by a means to be presently described. As shown, the frame of the unit 23 consists of spaced side channel plates 27 having longitudinal elongated slots 28 in the upper ends thereof in which the ends of the shaft of roller 24 are slidably arranged and journaled. The lower roller 25 has a shaft whose ends are journaled in openings 29 provided in the lower ends of the side plates 27, and it will thus be seen that the upper roller 24 is adjustable away from the lower roller 25 or upwardly to place the web 26 in a taut condition. In order to automatically yieldingly raise the roller 24 to maintain the web 26 taut, levers 30 are hinged to the outer sides of the side plates 27 and extend beneath the projecting ends of the shaft of roller 24, while the free ends of said levers 30 are yieldingly pulled upwardly by means of tension springs 31. In this way the roller 24 is yieldingly urged away from roller 25 so as to automatinally tighten or maintain the web 26 in a taut condition. It is noted that the side plates 27 are removable from the ends of the roller shafts so that access to the web 26 may be readily had to facilitate its removal from the rollers upon forcing the roller 24 downwardly toward the roller 25 against the action of springs 31. Arranged between the side plates 27, as well as between the runs of the web 26 is a bafiie plate assembly including side plates 32 removably fitted in the side plates 27 between the shafts of the rollers 24 and 25, and horizontal spaced bafiie plates 33 rigidly connecting the side plates 32 and inclined rearwardly and downwardly, as well as having upwardly and rearwardly turned forward edges and downwardly turned rear edges as shown clearly in Figures 5 and 7. The purpose of these baflie plates is to re move excess water or moisture from the air after it passes through the rear run of web 26 to the outlet 8, and to cause the removed excess water to drip back into the pan 22, whereby the heated air supplied to the rooms will not be laden with an excessive amount of moisture. Itwill be noted that the upright air cleaning and moistening unit 23 may be bodily removed upwardly from the compartment 10 when the lid 7 is opened, should the same be found desirable at any time for renewal or repair purposes. To retain the arts against easy separation, the lower end of the side plates 32 are provided with longitudinal elongated slots 34 so as to fit down over the projectingends of the shaft of the lower roller 25. Cleats 35 are secured to the top and sides of the casing 5 within compartment 10 and in rearwardly spaced re-' lation to the front of the casing so as to form in conjunction with the front wall of the latter a vertical guideway in which the unit 23 is slidably positioned and by which it is properly guided when inserted in or removed rom the casing. In addition, the cleats 35 prevent passage of the air around the unit 23 and direct the air through the web 26 before passing to outlet 8. A forwardly and downwardly curved baffle 36 is also provided at the back of the casing 5 within compartment 10 to assist in directing the air forwardly through the web 26.

Mounted on one side of the casing 5 is a reducing gearing generally indicated at 37 having a driven shaft 38 projecting inwardly through the adjacent side of casing 5 for operative connection with the adjacent end of the shaft of roller 25. The inner end of driven saft 38 is longitudinally slotted, and the adjacent end of the shaft of roller 25 is flattened as at 39. Thus, by positioning driven shaft 38 with its slot vertical, the end 39 of the shaft of roller 25 may be engaged in the slot of shaft 38 when the unit 23 is lowered into place, thereby establishing a driving connection between the shaft 28 and the shaft of roller 25. At the same time, with the parts similarly positioned, the unit 23 may be readily removed as permitted by free passage of the end 39 of the shaft ofroller 25 out of the slot of the driven shaft 38 of reducing gearing 37. .The gearing 37 also includes a driving shaft 40 on which is secured a large pulley 41, and passing about the pulley 41 and'the pulley'17 on the blower shaft is an endless driving .belt 42. It will thus be seen that when the motor 18 is placed into operation for driving the blowers 14, the roller will also be driven at a slow speed so as to cause the web 26 to travel slowly in the direction of the arrow in Figure 5. In this way the web 26 is kept saturated with water from pan 22, and fresh portions of the web are constantly brought into the path of the air passing through the casing 5 so that said air is properly cleaned and moistened.

Any suitable means may be provided for supplyingI water to .the pan 22 and maintaming t e water at a predetermined level within said pan. I have shown a water supply pipe 43 adapted to connect with the city water supply and having a float valve on the end thereof arranged to discharge into the pan 22 as indicated at 44in Figures 2 and 3.

The float of valve 44 is arranged to depend in the pan 22 so as to rise and fall with the level of the water in the latter, thereby cutting off the supply of water when the latter reaches a predetermined level in pan 22 and opening the valve to supply additional water when the level of the same in the pan 22 lowers below such predeterminedlevel. The float of valve 44 may be adapted for upward adjustment out of the path of pan 22 whenever insertion or removal of said an is desired. In order to facilitate intro uction or removal of the pan from the casing 5, the latter hasa door in the back thereof adjacent the bottom of the same as clearly shown at 45 in Figures 1 and 5. a

The apparatus may be controlledin various ways, but I have shown the motor 18 automatically controlled by a thermostatic switch 46 placed in the head of the furnace 5 so as to start the air conditioner automatically at certain temperatures of the furnace. I have also shown the current supplied from a main line at 47 controlled by a main line switch 48, and also by a manually operable by-pass switch for manual control of the apparatus when in operation in the summer or warm weather. As these devices are commonly employed in the control of air conditioners, they are not described herein more in detail and form no specific part of the present invention.

As will be clearly seen in Figure 4 the blowers 14 are spaced apart, and provided in the partition between these blowers is an opening controlled by a sliding damper 50.

Whenever conditions render cleaning and moistening of the air unnecessary, temporarily, or should the apparatus be temporarily out of commission for repair, the unit 23 building. This-will obviate the necessity of dismantling the apparatus or disturbing its operative relation to the furnace.

It will be seen that when the motor 18 is placed into operation the blowers 14 will draw air into the c sing 5 and force it into and through compartment '10 and out through outlet 8 for positive passage through the air jacket of the furnace and thence throtwh pipes P into the rooms of the building. is the air passes from compartment 10 to outlet 8, it is caused to pass through the web 26, and due to the moistened condition of the latter, impurities are extracted from the air by said web and moisture is taken up by the air from said web. Excess moisture is removed from the air before entering the furnace by means of the baffles 33, and due to the traveling of web 26, fresh portions of the latter are constantly being presented to the air passing through the casing 5. It will thus be seen that I have provided a simple and eflicient apparatus for cleaning and humidifying air w ich may be conveniently installed and readily maintained in an eflicient operative condition.

Minor changes are contemplated within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. In an air conditioning apparatus of the class described, a casing having an air inlet and an air outlet, an open top water pan within said casing, an air cleaning and moisten: ing unit mounted in the casing'between the air inlet and the air outlet and including an endless traveling web arranged to be moistened by the water insaid pan, said unit being slidably mounted in the casing to facilitate insertion and removal of the same, means for forcing air through the casing and driving said web, and a baffle plate assembly interposed between the runs of said web for removing excess moisture from the air after passing through one run of the web and before leaving the casing.

2. In an air conditioning apparatus of the class described, a casing having an air inlet and an air outlet, an open top water pan within said casing, an air cleaning and moistening unit mounted in the casing between the air inlet and the air outlet and including an endless traveling web arranged to be moistened by the water in said pan, said unit being slidably mounted in the casing to facilitate insertion and removal of the same,

fore leaving the casing, said baflie plate as sembly including side plates connected by spaced horizontal bafiies inclined upwardly toward the air outlet and having upwardly and rearwardly directed upper'edges.

3. In an air conditioning apparatus of the class described, a casing having a top air inlet and a front air outlet, thelower portion of the casing having a projecting front part closed by a lid, an open top water pan arranged upon the bottom of the casing, an air cleaning and moistening unit vertically slidable in the forward projecting part of the casing for bodily insertion or removal when said lid is opened, said unit comprising a frame having upper and lower rollers journaled therein and an endless web passing about said rollers, the lower roller being normally submerged within the water pan whereby the web is moistened by the water in said pan when caused to travel, a driven shaft projecting through one side of and into the casing, and means to eifect a driving connection between said driven shaft and the lower roller of the unit when the latter is the casing having a projecting front part' closed by a lid, an open top water pan arranged upon the bottom of the casing, an air cleaning and moistening unit vertically slidable in the forward projecting part of the casing for bodily insertion or removal when said lid is opened, said unit comprising a frame having upper and lower rollers journaled therein and an endless web passing about said rollers, the lower roller being normally submerged within the water pan whereby the web is moistened by the water in said pan when caused to travel, a driven shaft projecting through one side of and into the casing, means to effect a driving connection between said driven shaft and the lowerroller of the unit when the latter is operatively positioned within the casing, a partition dividing the rear portion of the casing into up er and lower compartments and provided with a central opening, a damper for closing said central opening, spaced blowers mounted in the casing above said partition, said partition having further openings in the end portions thereof registered with the outlets ofsaid blowers, and means for driving the blowers and said driven shaft.

5. In an air conditioning apparatus of the class described, an air cleaning and moistening unit adapted to be partially submerged in water and comprising side frame plates having rollers j ournaled in the upper and lower portions thereof, one of the rollers being movable toward and from the other roller, means to yieldingly urge said one roller away from the other roller, an endless web passing about said rollers and adapted to be maintalned in a tightened condition by the movement of said one roller away from the other roller, :1.

bafiie plate assembly interposed between the rollers and the runs of said web, said baflle plate assembly including side plates arranged between the first-named side plates and the rollers, andxhorizontal baflle plates rigidly connecting the last-named side plates, said bafile plates being inclined downwardly from i one run of the web toward the other run thereof and having upwardly and inwardly directed upper edges.

6. In an air conditioning apparatus of the class described, a casing havin a top air inlet and having the rear portion thereof divided into upper v and lower compartments by means of ahorizontal partition, the lower portion resting upon the bottom'of the pan and arranged in the projecting part of the casin for bodily insertion through the top thereo when the lid is opened, said unit comprising a pair of spaced rollers and an endless web passing about said rollers, a driven shaft,-

means to establish a driving connection betweenthe lower, roller and said drivenshaft when the unit is operatively positioned within the casing, a; blower in the upper compartment of the casin said partition having an opening registere with the outlet of the blower, and means for driving said blower and said driven shaft.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. v EARL M. HICKS. 

